Affliction
by AstralWolf
Summary: Steve is Steve. He'll be okay. He's always okay. Until he's not.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey! Thanks for checking out my story! :D So, this story takes place in present time. Steve was never frozen though, and Peggy is the same age that she was in The First Avenger. **

"Steve. Hey, Steve. Keep those eyes on me, alright?" Peggy demanded, cupping the young boy's cheek in her hand as she pulled him into her lap and cradled his head.

A horrible thing had happened to the super soldier, while on a mission to rescue passengers on a sinking ship. It had been a setup. A trap. It had happened so fast that even he hadn't known what hit him. Peggy knew it had been a plot by HYDRA, but she hadn't seen it coming until it was too late. Receiving a distress call from Steve, she raced to his rescue, finding him floating in the water near the wrecked ship, unconscious and not breathing. Peggy had spotted him; had dived into the water, dragged him to shore, and had resuscitated him.

Now, she sat on the ground, holding him close and trying her best to keep him from becoming hypothermic as she waited for the medical team to arrive.

With her stomach flip-flopping, she had realized with a sick feeling that her boyfriend's head was bleeding, and at an alarmingly fast rate. Steve had regained consciousness seconds ago, which had surprised her since he was so injured. Taking his slightly-better level of consciousness as a good thing, she tried to get him to keep his eyes trained on her.

"Steve." She tried.

His head rolled left and right in her grasp. Then his fogged blue eyes focused on her. "….Peggy…? Where 'm I…?" He slurred.

"Shh….save your energy, Steve. You were attacked."

He grunted in response, hearing her but not registering what the words meant. His eyelids slipped closed.

Peggy panicked. "Captain!" She shook his head, gaining no response. He went limp against her, all signs of life not visible, aside from the sound of his gasping breaths. "Steve," She tried, tears in her eyes.

The boy jerked awake, his face paling as his body tensed. Suddenly, he turned onto his side, choking up blood. He continued to cough and spit up red liquid for several minutes before he was done. He collapsed into Peggy's arms, going limp but still remaining conscious.

"Steve, are you alright?" Peggy asked him, already knowing the answer. She just had to get him talking, had to keep him awake, or he may never wake up again.

"…'m so t'red…." He mumbled, hardly conscious. He definitely wasn't aware of what he was saying, and he'd surely never remember it.

"I know. Just a little longer. Please," She begged him, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb.

"…'eggy…." Steve choked out. " 'eggy, I love you," He sighed, his breathing labored.

She held him closer, and tighter. "I love you too, Steve. Just hang on, alright? You're going to be okay," She noticed with encroaching fear that he was much colder, and that he was shivering violently.

"I…..I love…..l-love….." Before Steve could finish, his eyes rolled up into his skull, and his body went limp.

"Steve!" Peggy cried, not even hearing the sirens behind her. She didn't even realize that the paramedics had arrived until a woman with brunette hair and greenish-blue eyes dropped beside her, placing an oxygen mask over her boyfriend's mouth and nose.

"Ma'am. We need to put Captain Rogers on the stretcher so that he can be transported to the hospital," The woman spoke, her voice full of concern.

Peggy nodded, swallowing dryly, and leaned over Steve, giving him a kiss on the forehead before allowing the medics to take him away.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

A voice. Steve could hear a voice. But it was muffled, and fuzzy. He stirred slowly, groaning softly as a sharp pain erupted in his head. Then his hearing cleared, and he recognized Peggy's voice.

"…..c'mon St've…." He semi-heard her say. She was crying. "Open your eyes for me, baby,"

There was a warm, gentle hand resting on his cheek, and fingers were sweeping through his hair. His eyelids twitched as he tried to lift them.

"That's it Steve. Wake up. You can do it, sweetie." Peggy encouraged, her voice thick with grief. "Please, Steve. Come back to me,"

Steve attempted to open his eyes again, this time with slight success. His left eye cracked open an inch, revealing the slightest piece of his crystal-blue iris. But it was only open for a second. As soon as the blinding light surrounding him filtered into his vision, he allowed his eyelid to drop shut.

"Steve, please. I saw that just now. Keep fighting. You're stronger than this," Peggy urged him to fight on. "You're Captain America. If you can fall out of a helicarrier into water and survive, then this is nothing. Fight Steve! Fight!"

Steve desperately wanted to obey her, desperately wanted to see her beautiful face. But whatever injuries he had suffered while on that ship were pulling at him, tugging him back into the darkness. Slowly, he felt himself being sucked into unconsciousness.

* * *

Peggy sat in the back of the ambulance, her face streaked with tears and pale with sorrow. Steve Rogers lay in front of her on a stretcher, his head wrapped in bandages and a blanket tucked around his core. He was in a severe condition. Major hypothermia and a nearly fatal head wound. They were on their way to a special hospital, one that was meant especially for head injuries. She just hoped they weren't too late.

Peggy glanced down at Steve, a tear falling from her face and onto the back of his hand. She stared at his broken form, a deep feeling of grief sitting in her chest and weighing it down. But a sliver of hope soon replaced the grief as Steve's face twitched, a signal that he was waking, or trying to wake. She placed her hand on his cheek, calling his name and trying to encourage him.

"Steve." She tried. "Come on Steve," Peggy firmly cupped his cheek. "Open your eyes for me, baby," She saw that he was fighting to regain consciousness so she continued to talk to him while soothingly stroking his hair. His eyelids flickered a little, and she felt a twinge of hope. "That's it Steve. Wake up. You can do it, sweetie," Peggy continued. "Please Steve. Come back to me,"

His eye cracked open a little, revealing a tiny sliver of his blue iris. But it quickly closed. Disappointment filtered through her. "Steve, please. I saw that just now. Keep fighting. You're stronger than this," Peggy urged him to fight on. "You're Captain America. If you can fall out of a helicarrier into water and survive, then this is nothing. Fight Steve! Fight!" She cried, cradling his head in her arms. He soon went limp again. "Oh, Steve….." Peggy whimpered. "Please…"

As she cried over her wounded boyfriend, two of the paramedics appeared on the other side of the stretcher. Suddenly, alarms were going off, and Steve had gone from still to alert in seconds. His heart was beating fast, and his breathing had sped up. His eyelids flung open, but his gaze was locked on the ceiling. "St-Steve…?" Peggy whimpered. Suddenly, he let out a shrill cry, causing Peggy to jump. Then the convulsions started. His eyes rolled upwards, and he jerked around violently. Peggy quickly pulled away, the paramedics warning her to stay back.

"Patient is having a trama-induced seizure. Get an anti-seizure medication ready," One of the medics ordered the other. In fact, it was the paramedic with blond hair, the one that Peggy had seen earlier.

The woman carefully removed the blanket from around Steve, and quickly loosened the clothing around his neck, making it so that he could breathe easier. Then she held his head in both of her hands so he wouldn't injure it any further.

Peggy stared at the man with wide eyes, fear turning her stomach to stone. She noticed that there was scarlet froth bubbling up in Steve's mouth. Blood. "Th-there's blood! There's blood in his mouth!" She yelled worriedly.

After about thirty seconds, the convulsions stopped, leaving Steve limp on the stretcher, his eyes fluttering closed. "Patient has stopped breathing!" The medic exclaimed.

And as if the situation wasn't bad enough, Peggy felt the vehicle lurk forward. Everything rattled and shook, and she looked around, panic in her eyes. Then everything went black.

A/N: Cliffhanger. Ooh. :) I love cliffhangers! Don't you? I should update the next chapter sometime today. I've already started writing it so try not to explode.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Peggy awoke to find herself lying on the ground. She glanced around, trying to ignore the pounding pain in her head. When she realized that she was lying in the mud next to the ambulance, her heart leaped into her throat. The vehicle had crashed. Then she remembered: Steve wasn't breathing. Peggy scrambled to her feet, ignoring the throbbing pain that flooded her body, and searched for Steve. "Steve?" She whimpered, afraid that she'd find him dead.

"….P-P-Peggy….." came a scared, wavering voice.

"N-Natasha?" Peggy stammered. Then she spotted the red-haired woman nearby, kneeling beside Steve. Her face was streaked with tears.

"He…he won't breathe…." She croaked.

Peggy dashed over to her fallen boyfriend, ignoring the fact that Natasha had appeared out of nowhere. She felt for a pulse on his neck, her fingers beginning to shake when she couldn't find one. "Shit….." She cursed, a tear threatening to spill. "C'mon Steve…." Peggy squeaked. She refused to give up. The lady tilted his head back, held his nose, and blew air into him. She looked to see if his chest was rising with the breaths. His cheeks were puffing out but his chest wouldn't move. "Dammit…." Peggy spat, sticking her fingers down Steve's throat and scooping out a gooey, red substance. Then she breathed into him again. "C'mon Steve. Don't do this to me. You're still a kid! It's not your time!" She yelled, pumping his chest. After a minute, she checked his pulse again. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. "No….no Steve! No!" Peggy screamed, sobs wracking her body. But then she felt a heartbeat. She lifted her head, looking to Natasha. "He's alive. He's alive!"

Natasha came running over, a smile spreading on her face. "Thank god…." She sighed, smiling wordlessly at Peggy. "You….you saved him."

Peggy sighed shakily, her whole body trembling. She'd just saved Captain America's life. Taking in a deep breath, she struggled to her feet, pulling her cellphone out of her pocket and calling for help.

* * *

Steve jolted awake, panic flaring inside him. His eyelids flung open, and all he could see was water. Water was all around him, invading his lungs, turning his blood to ice, and gnawing at his skin with frozen teeth. He screamed, his arms grabbing at the air and his legs kicking out. Then her voice echoed into his ears. Peggy. Suddenly, his vision cleared, and with great surprise, he realized that he was in a hospital, Peggy and Natasha at his side. Their faces were distorted in fear as they watched him. Peggy had her hands gripped tightly around his arms.

"It's alright Steve," Peggy said softly, slowly removing her hands and using one of them to smooth his hair back. "You're alright."

"Peggy….." He choked out, his voice muffled. Something on his face was making it hard to speak.

"Shh…." She quieted him, using her thumb to stroke his cheekbone. "Don't waste your energy."

He glanced around, everything blurred and fuzzy. Why was he here anyway? What had happened? He didn't know, but he didn't have time to ask because a nurse popped into the room. She came up to him, a sad look on her face.

"I'm happy to see that you've regained consciousness, Mr. Rogers," She began. "I am Mrs. O'Riley, your nurse. You can call me Ava if you like." Ava smiled at him, still looking quite sad.

"If you're so happy to see me awake then why do you seem upset?" Steve asked, suspiciousness evident in tone. Though his voice was still muffled by the oxygen mask, she could understand his words.

Ava sighed, glancing down for a moment before meeting his gaze. "I'm afraid your injuries were much more serious than we'd initially thought, Mr. Rogers. We are going to have to do surgery on your head."

Peggy's face paled, and she quickly reached out to grab Steve's hand. Natasha stared at the nurse, her expression undecipherable.

"We hate to do this, but we have no other options. There is a high possibility that you will survive the surgery, but…with your fast metabolism, we will have to use a large dose of the anesthetic, and, given your condition, the drug could put you in a permanent coma." She paused, not wanting to continue. "But….there is a chance that the surgery will work, and it is possible for your brain to recover well enough to be able to regain consciousness."

Steve was silent for a long time. His mouth felt like it was full of cotton, and his heart was beating quickly. For once in his life, he was actually scared.

"What are the chances of him making a full recovery?" Natasha asked suddenly.

Ava paused, glancing down at her watch. She slowly started to back out of the room, hoping to avoid the question.

Natasha stood up, advancing towards the nurse. "What are the chances?" She growled.

"He has a 15% chance of making a full recovery. Now, I've got to go. Somebody will come in tomorrow to sedate him. If I were you, I'd start saying my 'goodbyes' now." Ava whispered, and then she vanished.

* * *

"15 percent?! 15 percent?! Nat, you can't let them do this! Steve will die!" Peggy exclaimed, tears cascading down her face and staining the floor with her grief. She stood in the hallway, Natasha in front of her. The red-headed woman had decided to break the news to Peggy in the hallway, not wanting Steve to hear how low his chances of full recovery were.

"That's what the nurse said. She informed me that someone will come by tomorrow to sedate him."

"Natasha! You can't let them go through with this! I….." Peggy paused, collapsing to her knees. "I can't lose Steve. I…I love him so much,"

The Black Widow knelt beside her, a gentle, comforting hand placed on her back. "I know you do, and I wish I could do something to help him. But if we don't do the surgery, there's a 95% chance that he'll die. We can't let that happen. You know that we can't,"

Peggy didn't respond. She didn't have anything to say. Sobs wracked her body, causing her shoulders to shake and shiver. After a few minutes, she gathered herself, wiping her tears. "Alright. But we can't tell Steve. I don't want to put him through that, okay?"

Nat nodded, acknowledging her words. "I won't tell him. I promise,"

* * *

After the two ladies exited the room, Steve began to feel a little nauseas. Whether it was from the head injury, he didn't know, but that didn't make him feel any better. He thought that maybe he just needed some food, or some water, but there wasn't any in the room. The young man pulled himself into a sitting position, preparing to call out to Peggy and Natasha. But before he could speak, he gagged violently, the burn of stomach acid flaring to life in his throat. Steve turned onto his side, trying not to vomit on the bed. Luckily, the vomit went on the floor, but when he saw what the vomit actually was, he winced, fear rising in his chest. It was blood. "Shit…." He groaned, a wave of dizziness washing through him. He threw up more blood, hardly able to get a breath.

Then the door opened, revealing Nat and Peggy. The two girls immediately raced over to him, terror glistening in their eyes.

"Steve!" Peggy cried, running over to him. His eyelids were slowly drifting shut. "Steve. Hey Steve, stay with me," She begged, cupping his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. Natasha stood beside her, pressing the button to call for the nurse. Then she took her thumb and wiped the blood from his mouth.

"P-Peggy….." Steve slurred, swaying a little. He jerked to the left, barely conscious.

"Hold on, Steve. Just stay with me," Peggy whimpered, panic flooding through her as he grew heavier and heavier in her arms. Seconds later, he lost consciousness. "Steve!"


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! So I forgot to mention in the first chapter that this story takes place sometime after the events of TWS. It's as if Peggy was in that movie, alongside the others. Okay, that's all Super Soldiers! :D **

* * *

Peggy wrapped her arms around Steve, her face drained of all color. Her whole body trembling with the effort, she pulled him upright, hearing that he wasn't breathing well. After she had him sitting up, the back of his head resting on her shoulder, Peggy ran her shaky fingers through his hair, whispering comforting words in his ear. "It's going to be alright Steve. Just hang on a little longer. You'll be okay,"

Natasha stood at the door, waiting impatiently for the nurse to arrive. Time dragged on, and suspicion and worry began to snake its' way into her gut. Something was wrong. She poked her head out the door and into the hallway, her heart leaping into her throat when she saw that there were bodies lying upon the floor. Dead bodies. She gasped silently, pulling herself back into the room and shutting the door quietly. "Peggy." Nat whispered, trying to maintain a low profile in case the murderers were still in the building.

Peggy glanced at her. "Where's the nurse?" She asked in a loud voice.

Nat placed her finger on her lips to quiet her. The red-haired woman snuck over to Peggy and Steve. "They're dead. They're all dead."

"Do you think-" Peggy began to ask, but was quickly cut off as a large explosion shook the building. She instinctively wrapped her arms around Steve, covering his head with her chest. "We need to get out of here,"

Natasha nodded. "Let's go before someone finds us." She stated quietly, gripping Steve's legs in her hands. "We're going to have to carry him together. You carry his arms and head, I'll carry his legs."

Peggy obeyed her instructions and slipped her arms under Steve's as they both stood together, their bodies trembling with the strain. Steve's head lolled to the left, his hair gently brushing her arm. It bounced up and down as the two ladies made their way out into the hallway, both of them slightly out of breath.

Natasha opened her mouth to say something, but the sound of her phone ringing stopped her. She gestured towards the wall, and she and Peggy moved to the side, placing Steve on the floor. Peggy pulled his head into her lap and softly stroked his cheek, examining his face with worry dancing in her eyes. "Oh Steve….." She whispered, leaning over him and placing a kiss on his forehead. His skin was cold, and she then realized that he was shivering. The dark-haired woman pulled her jacket off, wrapping the cloth around his shoulders in an attempt to warm him up. Then she glanced up at Natasha.

She was looking down at the bright little phone screen. The Caller ID read: Nicholas J. Fury. Quickly, she answered the call, not waiting for him to speak before she began to. "Fury! We're trapped in the hospital! Steve is down. We need help now." The red-haired lady whispered into the phone, her heart pounding in fear. Her hands started to feel sweaty.

"Thank you for the information, Romanoff. It's very useful for us." The person on the other line spat smugly.

Natasha's heart suddenly stopped beating. That voice. She knew who it was. "Rumlow!" She growled, forgetting to keep quiet. Peggy shushed her, instinctively holding Steve closer, but she didn't listen.

"Surrender Captain Rogers to us and we'll reconsider letting you live." He snapped back. Natasha could almost see the smirk on his face.

"We'll never hand him over to you. We'll protect him with our lives,"

There was a short air of silence on the other end, then he spoke again. "'We'? You mean there're other people there with you?" Rumlow chuckled deeply.

Natasha drew in a sharp breath, her body stiffening. She looked to Peggy, guilt embedded in her widely-opened eyes. The brown-haired lady nodded to show that she forgave her.

"This-" Rumlow spoke loudly, so suddenly that Natasha jumped, "is going to be fun!" Then the line went dead.

Natasha used her shaking hand to place her phone back in her pocket, then she crawled over to Peggy and Steve. "We have to move."

"In a few seconds, you'll be too dead to do anything,"

Nat spun around to see Rumlow standing in the hallway, two pistols gripped firmly in his hands. She heard Peggy shift beside her, and she pictured her clutching Steve's head with both of her hands and pressing his face into her chest.

"Why do you want him?" Peggy asked timidly.

"Do you really think I'd spill HYDRA's plans to some British Military Officer and a red-haired brat named after a poisonous spider?" Rumlow smirked, aiming each pistol at both girls.

"Just stand down, Rumlow." Natasha ordered softly. Her voice may have been gentle, but the glare that she gave him was so strong and full of fire that it could melt steel.

Rumlow chuckled, then the guns clicked and he pulled both triggers.

* * *

He was gradually returning to consciousness, Steve realized as all of his senses began to return. He could hear several voices, but they were fuzzy and he couldn't tell who it was. He groaned softly, feeling a deep pain in the back of his head. The super soldier couldn't remember exactly what had happened before he blacked out, but he knew that it hadn't been good.

Suddenly, a sharp voice echoed into his ears. Peggy's voice. "Why do you want him?" He heard her growl.

Then someone else chimed in. "Do you really think I'd spill HYDRA's plans to some British Military Officer and a red-haired brat named after a poisonous spider?" _Rumlow!_

"Just stand down, Rumlow." That was Natasha.

What was happening? Why was Rumlow here? Then Steve heard two clicks, and he instantly knew that it was coming from guns. He could feel deep in his gut that Natasha and Peggy were about to get shot. His eyes snapped open and before he knew it, he was on his feet. Without hesitation, he leaped in front of them both just as the guns fired.

* * *

Peggy shut her eyes as she waited for the bullets to come. Fear snaked through her, causing her to through her arms up in front of her face as she instinctively tried to protect herself.

But then she felt Steve move in her lap, and she removed her arms, opening her eyes to see that he was on his feet. Seconds later, he leaped in front of her and Natasha, and two bullets tore through his flesh.

He screamed, falling to the floor on his side. Natasha and Peggy immediately dropped to their knees beside him, both of them slowly rolling him onto his back.

"Steve? Steve, can you hear me? Answer me baby," Peggy sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Steve…."

Steve coughed weakly, blood dribbling out of his mouth. His eyelids cracked open, and he tried to speak but he couldn't breathe.

Rumlow snickered, approaching them. He smacked Natasha in the head with the butt of his pistol, knocking her unconscious and grabbed Peggy by the throat, lifting her into the air. "Your boyfriend is dying, girl, and no one is coming to save him." The man spat, squeezing her throat. She wheezed, unable to get a breath. "And you're about to join him in the spirit world..."

Steve's breaths were coming in gasps, and he could feel himself slowly falling into darkness. The darkness had almost claimed him by the time he closed his eyes. He heard Peggy whimper something, it sounded like his name, but he couldn't respond. He sunk into unconsciousness, knowing that he'd probably never wake again.

Rumlow, noticing that Steve had lost consciousness, threw Peggy to the ground and kneeled over the dying super soldier. "It was nice working with you, Rogers. But I'm afraid this is goodbye," He sneered. Then the man pulled a syringe out of his pocket; it was filled with a glowing green liquid.

"No…." Peggy wheezed, slowly struggling to her feet. She held her throat, rubbing the area that was sore, then she leaped onto his back, a knife in her hand. She didn't know where she'd got it, but at this point it didn't matter. The dark-haired woman pulled his head back, exposing his neck. Then she dug the knife into his skin, twisting it around in the wound until he went limp. The syringe fell out of his hand as he fell to the floor, and Peggy crawled over to it, staring at it. There were letters written on the glass: ANTI-SERUM. "Anti-serum…..they were going to take the serum away from him, but…if he's dead then the serum is already gone…"

"Anti-serum? Is it like an antidote?" Natasha's voice suddenly broke in. Peggy glanced to the left to see her on her knees. She looked slightly dizzy, but otherwise alright.

"It…it could be, but…"

"If it's an antidote, then it's made from the serum. That's how vaccines work. They take a little bit of the actual disease and inject bits of into your body, then your immune system builds a barrier to fight it off. If that anti-serum is anything like a vaccine, then it could save him." Natasha replied, coming over to Peggy and the dying super soldier.

"Right! Because the only way they could've made this is if there was some of the real serum in it! So…."

Natasha took the syringe from her. "So we have to wait until the serum is completely out of his system before we inject him."

Peggy's face went pale. "You mean we have to let him die before we…?"

Natasha nodded, handing the syringe back to her before kneeling beside Steve. She placed two fingers on his neck: his pulse was weak. "It won't be long. His heart is hardly beating."

"Alright." Peggy sighed, tears falling from her eyes. She crawled over to Steve, cradling his head and holding him close. "It'll be okay Steve. We'll bring you back," The woman whispered, stroking his cheekbone and sweeping her fingers through his hair. Only a few minutes had gone by when she noticed that he'd stopped breathing. "Natasha! Now!"

Black Widow quickly forced the needle into Steve's arm. She watched as the serum flooded into his veins. It was glowing green, and it caused his entire body to glow brightly. A few seconds later, the green glow faded. Steve was still limp. Still not breathing.

Peggy screamed, burying her face into his hair. "Come on Steve…." She whimpered as Natasha leaned over his mouth and felt for air on her cheek. Nothing.

"It didn't work, Peggy." Natasha whispered, her voice cracking. They both bowed their heads, Peggy crying into Steve's hair as loudly as she could. Nat stayed silent, grief tugging at her heart.

"It's all your fault! If we hadn't waited for him to die, we could've saved him! Your idea failed, and you are now responsible for the death of Captain America!" Peggy shrieked.

"We both agreed! His death isn't my fault! It's HYDRA's!" Natasha screamed. Then both girls fell into a full-blown argument. They threw words at each other for at least half an hour, Peggy unable to stop the tears from falling.

"I'd give anything to save him! He was my boyfriend and I loved him! Do you have any idea what it feels like to have a love torn apart?! Well, I do. It feels like shit!" Peggy yelled.

"I know very damn well what it feels like to have a torn apart! God dammit Peggy! I loved Steve!"

Suddenly both of them were stunned into silence. An empty air of absolute quiet surrounded them.

Peggy felt as if she'd shrunken down to the size of an ant. "Y-you…you loved him?" A tear fell from her eye.

Natasha nodded, tears now falling from her eyes too. "…Yes…I loved him. But he was taken, so I never told him. I never told him and now I never will,"

"…Natasha I'm so sorry for yelling at you. It wasn't your fault. I'm so so sorry…" Peggy whispered, cradling Steve in her arms, stroking his hair and resting her hand on his forehead. "I-" Peggy began, but suddenly her heart leaped into her throat. Steve was warm, and he was getting warmer by the second.

Natasha saw the look on her face and she instantly put her ear to Steve's mouth. She stayed in this position for a moment, and then she felt it. A breath. She found herself placing her fingers on Steve's neck, and she found a pulse there. "He's alive!"

Peggy wiped the tears from her eyes and stroked Steve's cheekbone with her thumb. "That's it, Steve. Come back to us…"

The two women sat there in complete silence for a few minutes, both of them now crying tears of happiness.

"He's going to be okay," Nat murmured as they both smiled down at him.

Peggy continued to cradle Steve's head, and she held him close, checking his pulse every few seconds to assure herself that he was still there. But the next time she did, a green glow shot out of her fingers. She yanked her hand away, afraid that something was wrong with her. She watched as the glow spread throughout Steve's body. Slowly, the super soldier's wounds closed up. Whatever had come out of her fingers had gone into Steve and healed him.

Natasha sat there, stunned and unable to speak. Then Steve jerked awake with a gasp.


	5. Chapter 5: Part 1

Steve jerked awake, inhaling sharply as his eyelids flung open. He heard Natasha and Peggy talking frantically above him, and he could feel a warm hand on his cheek.

"….Steve, are you alright?" Peggy asked him, stroking his cheekbone with her thumb. "Can you hear me?"

Steve glanced up at her with hazy eyes. "….Peggy…" He sighed. "Everyone okay….?" The super soldier croaked, slowly sitting up and grunting in slight pain.

Natasha mimicked his sigh as she crawled forward, using a hand to support his back. "You're alright Steve, but we need to get out of here." She announced, her voice thick with worry.

Steve nodded in agreement, wincing as he stood up. "Let's move,"

* * *

Steve, Peggy, and Natasha creeped through the halls of the hospital, peeking around the corners for any sign of hydra agents. They were doing good for about a half an hour straight when Steve screamed, dropping to his knees in agony. His skin gave off an orangish-red glow as he collapsed to the floor on his side.

"Steve!" Peggy yelled, skidding to his side, Natasha beside her. She placed a hand on his forehead, immediately tearing it away when a searing, burning pain sunk into her skin. "He's….." Peggy began, but cold fear froze her when two men in black suits, holding guns, approached them.

"Agent Carter. Black Widow. How delightful. We were only coming for Captain Rogers but I guess you'll do as well." One of the men snickered. Then everything went black.

* * *

Natasha awoke to the sound of a masculine scream. She glanced around, her vision blurry. A cold air buffeted against her as she sat up; her head swiveled to the left, revealing to her eyes that she was in a concrete cell, Peggy lying unconscious beside her. "Peggy? Steve?"

"Shut up you poisonous rat!" Someone spat from outside the cell. "She's awake, sir," The male alerted somebody.

Natasha struggled to her feet, racing over to the cell door with her heart pounding furiously in her chest. A man with shaggy white hair and gnarled yellow teeth approached her, a smirk spreading across his face.

"Hello there, girl. I've been waiting for one of you to awake." He chuckled deeply. "Would you like to see Captain Rogers?"

"Why? What have you done to him?!" she snarled, her stance fierce, like she wanted to attack him.

The man stepped to the side to reveal Steve. He was on the other side of the hallway in a different cell. From her view he seemed to be unconscious. Blood was splattered across the wall, little red droplets trickling down the concrete and staining it red. But what gave her chills was the fact that someone had written his name on the wall in blood. In _his_ blood.

**A/N: This is really short, I know. I'm having terrible writer's block. I'll add a part two once i get some more ideas. **


	6. Chapter 5: Part 2

Steve awoke to the feeling of cold wind buffeting against him. All around him, he was surrounded by air. Cool air. He sat up, coughing softly as he did so. He licked his lips, trying to process his surroundings. "Peggy….? Natasha….?" He croaked.

A loud bang echoed into his ears, and he jumped, frightened by the sound. "You're awake." Someone growled viciously.

"Where're Peggy and Natasha?" Steve demanded, mouth feeling as dry as ever. The only response he received was a smack on the back of his head. He yelped, cowering in the corner. Nobody had ever seen Captain America afraid. The man chuckled then left.

Steve struggled to his feet, swaying a little. He grabbed the wall in order to steady himself. "Gotta find….Peggy and Tasha…." He whispered, then he collapsed.

* * *

Natasha awoke, feeling warm. She looked around, surprise and shock on her face when she saw that she was surrounded by blood. Steve was lying on top of her, unconscious. "Steve!"

She quickly sat up, pulling him into her lap. Peggy was in the cell with them, and she crawled over to the two, cradling her boyfriend's head in her hands. His breaths came in short, halting wheezes. "Steve…?"

Steve choked, coughing on the blood that was pooling in his throat. His eyelids slowly fluttered open. "Nat….?" He coughed again, blood drooling out of his mouth.

Natasha wiped it away. "Hey, look at me Steve." He was pale. A little too pale. "Steve?" Steve groaned, licking his lips and blinking slowly. Then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he passed out. He went limp, hardly breathing.

"Steve!" Peggy and Natasha both cried out. They both lifted him up, Peggy carrying his front half and Nat carrying his back half.

"I think they did something to him." Natasha murmured sadly. She examined his arms and legs, face distorted in anger. "Look at how thin his arms and legs are. I…..I think he's losing his serum. For real this time,"

"But that means he's going to be vulnerable. We can't-" Peggy began, but a groan from Steve cut her off. She looked down to see his eyelids fluttering softly. He was obviously dreaming.

Natasha started to lift him up and she began to carry over to the bed that sat in the corner of the cell. Once she got him there, with the help of Peggy's muscles, she covered him with the blanket. He curled into it, shivering and nuzzling the pillow with his cheek. Then he yawned.

_Rain fell all around him as he stood at the top of the skyscraper, flattening his hair and seemingly gluing it to his head. His gaze was locked on the ground far below him, his eyes scanning the people below as they crawled like tiny little ants, busy with their day. He leaned forward a little, hands curling tightly around the railing in front of him. Wind whipping against his face, carrying the smell of wet concrete into his nose, Steve inhaled deeply. He lifted his foot, stepping up onto the concrete ledge that lay in front of him, marking the edge of the roof. "You can take everything I have…..you can break everything I am, like I'm made of glass, like I'm made of paper…." He sang. "Go on and try and tear me down, I will be rising from the ground, like a skyscraper." Steve leaned forward more, releasing his grip on the railing and spreading his arms like wings. Then he fell forward. _

Steve awoke, sweat pouring down his face. He gasped, feeling sick to his stomach. He raced over to the toilet, lifting the toilet seat as quickly as he could. Then he threw up and began gasping for air. He stayed like this for a few moments. When he was done, suddenly, light swarmed all around him and he felt someone's hands underneath his arms, lifting him up. A warm hand rested on his forehead as he was laid on his back. He looked up to see Peggy watching him, worry on her face. She stroked his cheek with her thumb, cradling his head in her lap. "Hey, can you hear me?" She asked softly, voice thick with her British accent.

Steve nodded gently, breathing wheezy. "I…..I don't feel good…" He murmured, holding his throat with his hand. "Can't breathe…." He wheezed. She shushed him, stroking his blonde hair with her hand, running her fingers over his head. Then she turned around for a second, twisting her waist till she was facing Natasha, who had appeared behind her a few seconds ago. She grabbed the inhaler that sat in Natasha's hand, giving it to Steve. "Here you go, darling," Peggy whispered, sticking it in his mouth and pushing the button. "Breathe…"

He inhaled weakly, closing his eyes and going still.

Peggy patted his cheek and his eyes opened slightly. "Hey, stay with me alright? Nat, get the stretcher." She ordered, turning to face her as she spoke. Then she turned back to Steve. "We're going to get out of here, Steve. Steve? Come on Steve, stay with me," Peggy patted his cheek again, as his eyelids were starting to flutter shut.

Soon Natasha arrived with the stretcher, and the two girls lifted Steve onto it. He looked over at the cell door to see that it was mangled and broken. Natasha and Peggy had obviously done that while he was asleep. They started wheeling him out of the cell, moving at a fast pace. He coughed weakly, feeling something warm and tasting something coppery in his mouth. Blood.

"Hold on Steve. Just hold on. We're almost out of-" Peggy began, but a shrill cry erupted from her throat, and Steve felt something cold and metal against his forehead. It was a gun.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Peggy screamed, the sound causing Steve to wince. "Please don't hurt him! Don't hurt him!" She begged, tearing her way towards Steve. She tackled the man holding the gun, and he fell to the ground, the gun slipping out of his hand. It slid across the floor and Peggy crawled towards it, grabbing it and shooting him in the head. Blood splattered everywhere, little red droplets going on the walls.

Steve coughed from where he lay on the stretcher. Peggy shushed him, leaning over him and stroking his cheek. "It's alright Steve, it's alright," She cooed, hoping to calm him. He closed his eyes. "That's it. Just close your eyes. When you wake, you'll feel much better," Peggy added, running her fingers through his hair. Natasha watched her, a hint of jealousy in her stare. She still really liked Steve, and at times she just wanted him to be hers.

Nat came forward, purposefully pushing Peggy out of the way as she took the stretcher in her hands and made her way out the door. She started running, hoping Peggy wouldn't catch up.

"Natasha." Peggy stated firmly. "Natasha!" She raced forward, rushing to catch the red-head. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Natasha looked over her shoulder, angry as ever. "If I can't have him, no one can!" She snarled, pushing Steve into the street. There was the sound of a horn, and the flash of headlights, then Steve was on the ground, bleeding to death.

Steve felt himself being rolled away at a fairly quick pace. He wondered why he was moving so fast. His eyelids peeled open slowly and he saw Natasha at his side, wheeling him out the door. "N't….." He slurred, disappointed when he could barely hear his own voice. There was no way Natasha would hear him.

He groaned, the fast movement jostling his body and causing pain to sprout through his chest. He struggled, trying to sit up. But before he could do anything, Steve felt the bed tip to the side. He heard a car horn squeal, and saw the flash of headlights, then he smacked his head on the concrete ground. Everything went fuzzy, and he couldn't see. Blood poured out of his head, leaking onto the asphalt. He heard Peggy scream his name, her voice frantic as she dashed to his side.

Steve groaned, feeling himself being lifted into her arms. He looked up at her, vision mucky. She wiped his bloodied blonde hair away from his wound, stroking it gently. He whimpered, curling into a ball. Peggy lifted him up bridal style, his head resting on her chest. "Come on Steve. You need a doctor," She murmured, kissing his forehead.

Suddenly, Natasha came up behind them, shooting Steve in the chest. He cried out in pain, and Natasha broke out in tears, dropping to her knees.

A shrill cry left Peggy's throat, and she screamed at Natasha as Steve bled out. There was no hospital nearby; no way that they could save him this time.

"Hydra. Hydra. Hydra. Hydra." Natasha repeated, then she passed out. Something was wrong with her. But steve was more important right now.

Peggy cradled his head, placing her hands on his cheeks. "St-Steve….?" She whispered, tears leaking down her face. He was so still. "Steve, please," She begged, stroking his fragile cheek. His lips were tinted blue, and they were stained with red droplets of blood. He coughed, the scarlet ooze leaking out of his mouth.

"….P'ggy….." He slurred. "….hurts…." Steve whimpered, tears streaking his face. "Hurts…so much….."

Peggy sobbed, holding him close. "I know Steve, I know…." She whispered. Since he was the real Steve again, the Steve that he had been before the serum, it only took one gunshot to kill him. His clothing was already soaked through with blood, and Peggy's lap was covered in warm red liquid. "Steve, I'm so sorry,"

"Don't blame yourself…" He murmured. "Not your fault…."

"But if I'd seen that something was wrong with Natasha, I would've been able to stop her from hurting you…..from killing you Steve,"

He lifted his arm up, cradling her cheek in his hand and stroking her skin, wiping away the tears. "It's okay…" Steve assured her. He was alright with dying.

"Please Steve….it's not okay. You're…..you're going to die," Peggy whimpered. "I don't want you to die…."

"I-it's…it's o-okay," He rasped. "It'll be okay,"

She shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. "No it won't. Not without you,"

He was about to say something more but a violent cough cut him off. Steve shook and trembled with the force of the cough, his breathing becoming even raspier. A few seconds later, he stopped breathing altogether.

A/N: Not the end! :)


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